Portraits of cyclists 'in action' at 1/2500 of a second and 'at rest' immediately after exertion.

Fireflies studio portraits - across the Alps for LeukaAction portraits of some of the cyclists past and present who ride over 1000km, climbing 20,000 metres in the process, to raise money for a great medical charity.

The Fireflies are a group of cyclists committed to raising money for Leuka, a charity formed to support Research & Treatment of Leukaemia at Hammersmith Hospital, London, renowned as a world leader in treatment of Cancers of the Blood. The cyclists are predominantly from the advertising, TV and film production industries, and every year a group of around 50 cyclists, some for the first time, some veterans who have completed many Fireflies Tours, meet to take on a challenge of endurance. The route is more than 1000km across the Alps, including many of the iconic and brutal Tour de France climbs.

This shoot took place at Mount Pleasant Studio in London. Chris Cairns, director at Partizan, created a fundraising film for Leuka, that you can see here. Twenty-five Fireflies raced for 500m on a track bike on rollers and this was filmed in super slow motion with a Phantom camera at 1000fps by DOP Dan Bronks. We shot portraits of the riders as soon as they got off their bikes, as well as images of the cyclists on their bikes at 1/2500th of a second. Thanks to Candy Alderson for great makeup.